1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates generally to a tool for preventing passage of equipment through a pipe, more particularly, to equipment for preventing the loss of equipment in a wellhead.
2. Description of Related Art
Gas and oil well pumping, swabbing, and drilling devices are used to remove oil and other substances from within an oil and gas well. Equipment is often lowered within a well to provide work, maintenance, and gather information about the well. Equipment is typically attached to a sandline and regulated by an operator. Once a desired work is performed, the equipment is raised to the surface.
Occasionally the sandline can break resulting in the equipment falling within the well. The process of retrieving the equipment can be very expensive, result in delays, and often stops production of the well. Liability for the costs typically depends on the location of the equipment when it breaks free from the sandline. Generally an operator is responsible for retrieving equipment that has fallen into the well bore once the equipment has passed the wellhead during removal.
Some devices have been used to try and mitigate the loss of equipment. Such devices focus on the equipment itself or on devices attached to the wellhead. Devices attached to the wellhead often use latches that move linearly.
Although great strides have been made, with respect to swabbing devices, considerable shortcomings remain.
While the system and method of the present application is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the application to the particular embodiment disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the process of the present application as defined by the appended claims.